Circular-knitting machine.



H. A. HOUSEMAN.

:OIRGULAR KNITTING MACHINE.-

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APPLICATION FILED 33.14, 1913.

WITNESSES WWW.

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Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

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HARRY A. HOUSEMAN', FHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 STANDARDPENNSYLVANIA.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

Uriginal application filed May 17, 1912, Serial No. 697,861.

Serial No. 748,281.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913. Divided and this application filed February 14.,

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. HoUsnMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inCircular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings,

which form a part of this speci cation.

As is well known, it is customary, in circular knitting machines, toeffect the length ening or shortening of the stitches by changing therelative vertical positions of the knitting cylinder and cam cylinder.Usually the non-rotatable element (which on some machines is the camcylinder and on others the needle cylinder) is thusmaised or lowered.This operation should be effected with the greatest possible nicety andat the same time with the utmost certainty. It is also desirable tomaintain the vertically movable cylinder absolutely level at all timesand to provide means for adjusting it to such an exact level withoutinterfering with the lifting and depression. mechanism.

It is the object of my invention to provide means for effecting theoperations and adjustments above mentioned.

In the drawings, which represent a preferred embodiment of my inventionFigure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the knitting head with myinvention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the main features ofmy invention.

As fully shown and described in Patent No. 903,190 issued to me November10, 1908, cl is the non-rotatable needle cylinder and 2' the rotatablecam. cylinder located within the needle cylinder. The needle-cylinder,by means hereinafter described, is supported from the spider 0projecting upward from the bed-plate Z) of the machine. The needlecylinder has slots 6 extending from the inner periphery outward. Theseslots contain the needles 7, which are operated from needle levers gpivoted on the comb h.

Threaded in the spider a are screws 110 (which may be three in number asshown) carrying pinions' 111- meshing with an internal rack or gear 112resting on the spider 0. Supported on the axles of the pinions 111 areparts 113 secured to the needle cylinder. By imparting a rotary movementto the gear 112, the screws 110 are rotated, thereby moving. the needlecylinder vertitaln adjustment of the vertical position of the needlecylinder is secured. Further, by lifting gear 112 out of engagement withthe screws, any one of them can be independently turned a distance ofone or more pinion teeth. This is of special advantage in case theneedle cylinder should not be absolutely level, as it can be leveledperfectly by independently adjusting one or more of the screws. The gear112 may beturned automatically by means of any suitable mechanism, as,for example, by the mechanism set forth in my a plication filed May 17,1912, Serial No. 69 ,861. This .mecha nism forming no part of my presentinvention, I have simply shown that part thereof more immediatelyconnected with the gear 112, namely, a bracket 114 secured to the gear,and a rod 115 pivoted to the bracket the upper bed plate Z2. When therod] 15 is moved in-the direction of its length, 0h gear 112 will beturned in one direction or the other, thereby lifting or depressing theneedle cylinder. The rod 115 may be provided with one or more adjustablepieces 117 each carrying screw 119 whose axis is parallel to the axis ofthe rod 115 and which may be operated automatically by a suitable lever(not shown) at the proper time as fully set forth in my saidapplication. It will be understood that if the rod is pushed forward bythe lever striking the head of the screw, the gear 112 will be turned inthe direction to lift the needle cylinder. The extent to which-theneedle cylinder will lift may be governed by adjusting the piece 117 onthe rod 115, or more conveniently and accurately by turning the screw119. The extent to which the needle cylinder may be depressed isgoverned by a screw 220 against which an abutment 221, secured to thegear 112, is adapted to strike on the return movement of the gear 112.The screw the spider 0.

engages the grooved head of the screw and holds the crew in its adjustedposition.

The subyect matter of this case is fully and slidable in a bearing in astandard'oncally. By this means a very fine and cer- 220 is adjustablein a bracket 222 secured to A spring-"pressed detent 223 disclosed inthe application filed by me May 17, 1912, Serial No. 697,861, of whichthis case is a division.

Having now fully described my invention, what 1 claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a circular knitting machine, the

combination with the .needle cylinder and cam cylinder, one of which isnow-rotatable, of a support, pinions rotatable on their axes but notbodily rotatable, said pinions having threaded shafts and beininterposed between the non-rotatable cylin er and the support, thethreaded shafts engaging one of the last named members atpoints locatedon different radii of the nonrotatable cylinder, a gear engaging thepinions, and means to actuate the gear thereby turning all the pinionson their axes and effecting a vertical movement of the non-rotatablecylinder. l 1

v 2. In a circular knittin machine, the combination with the need ecylinder-andcam cylinder, of a support, a plurality of pinions havingthreaded shafts engaging the support, one of said cylinders having projections resting on the axes of the pinions, a 'gearren'gaging thepinions, and means to actuate the gear thereby turning all the pinionsand effecting a vertical bodily move-' ment of the last named cylinde'r.

3. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the needlecylinder and cam cylinder, of a support, a plurality of pinionsinterposed between the support and one of the cylinders and havingthreaded shafts engaging one of the last named members, a rotatable gearengaging all the pinions, whereby when the gear is turned the last namedcylinder is raised or lowered, and complementary members, one fixed andthe other on thegear, adapted to abut one against the other and limitthe downward movementv of the vertically movable cylinder, one of saidcomplementary members being adjustable to vary the limit of'downwardmovement of the vertically movable cylinder.

4. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the needlecylinder and cam cylinder, of a support, a plurality of pinionsinterposed between the sup ort and one of the cylinders and having treaded shafts engaging one of the last named members, a rotatable gearengaging all the pinions, wherebywhen the gear is turned the last namedcylinder is raised or lowered and a device connected with and adapted toactuate the gear.

5. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the needlecylinder and cam cylinder, of a'plurality of devices, located ondifferent radii of the cylinders, connected with'and adapted to beactuated to move vertically one of said cylinders, and means forsimultaneously and uniformly operating all of said device's, saiddevices being each operable, independently of each otherand of saidoperatingmeans, to vertically move the part of the cylinder connectedtherewith, whereby said adjustable cylinder may be either leveled by thedifferential adjustment of said devices or raised or lowered bodilytaneous operation.

t In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, atPhila., Pa, on this 11th day'of February, 1913.

. HARRY A. HOUSEMAN. Witnesses: W. P. BRooKnRMANN, J r., A. R.DOUGHERTY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

by their simul-.

